U.S. patent number 4,283,818 [Application Number 06/040,698] was granted by the patent office on 1981-08-18 for apparatus for reducing racket handles.
This patent grant is currently assigned to William C. Kinard. Invention is credited to Donald F. Carter, William C. Kinard, Cecil G. Young.
United States Patent |
4,283,818 |
Kinard , et al. |
August 18, 1981 |
Apparatus for reducing racket handles
Abstract
A hand operated apparatus for reducing the size of racket
handles such as used in tennis rackets is described. A base in
which racket handles are secured has raised opposed sides, the
edges of the sides defining a guide plane. The guide plane is
parallel to the center line of the handle secured within the base.
A frame, having an adjustably extendable blade means, is adapted
for slideable contact with the edges so that the blade means
removes material from the racket handle in a plane parallel to the
center line of the handle. A control means is provided for
adjusting the depth of cut of the blade means. By repeated
operation, uniform depth cuts can be made on each face of a racket
handle to maintain symmetry.
Inventors: |
Kinard; William C. (Pasadena,
CA), Carter; Donald F. (South Pasadena, CA), Young; Cecil
G. (La Canada, CA) |
Assignee: |
Kinard; William C. (Pasadena,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
21912429 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/040,698 |
Filed: |
May 21, 1979 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
29/76.1; 144/2.1;
144/373; 451/164 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B23D
67/12 (20130101); Y10T 29/44 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B23D
67/00 (20060101); B23D 67/12 (20060101); B23D
067/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;51/25WG,59R,60,69
;29/76R,78,76A ;144/2R,162R,114R,115,323,321 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bray; W. D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Christie, Parker & Hale
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for removing material from a racket handle
comprising:
a base portion having at least one pair of raised opposed sides,
the sides having edges that define a guide plane;
means for securing a racket handle within the base, a center line
of the racket handle being parallel to the guide plane;
a frame slideable upon the edges of said raised sides, said frame
having a length greater than the separation between the raised
opposed sides of the base portion;
blade means secured to the frame and movable with the frame in a
plane parallel to the guide plane for removing material from the
racket handle; and
means for adjustably extending the blade means between the frame
and the racket handle for varying the depth of material removal
from the racket handle.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for
securing the racket handle within the base includes a rotatable
eccentric cam and a brace for opposing the action of the cam.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frame has the
general shape of a U-shaped channel having a bight portion and
depending side portions, the side portions having parallel edges,
said edges adapted for slideable contact with the edges of the
raised sides of the base portion.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the frame includes
stop means for limiting the amount of travel of the frame in a
direction transverse to the raised sides of the base portion.
5. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the blade means
further comprises:
a carriage mounted in the frame;
a blade secured to the carriage; and
means for adjusting the amount of extension of the carriage from
the frame.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the means for
adjusting the amount of extension of the carriage from the frame
includes:
guide means for guiding the carriage at least in a direction
perpendicular to the edges of the frame; and
means for positioning the carriage along the guide means.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 further including means for
locking said carriage in the adjusted position.
8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the guide means
includes:
a plurality of spaced apart rods extending between the depending
side portions of the frame; and
a plurality of slots located in the carriage, one of such slots
mating with each of such rods, each of such slots similarly
inclined with respect to the edges of the depending side
portions.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the means for
positioning the carriage along the guide means includes:
rack and pinion means, the rack means secured to the carriage
parallel to the slots;
pinion means for engaging said rack means; and
means for rotating said pinion means for translating the carriage
in a direction parallel to said slots.
10. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the blade is a wood
rasp.
11. An apparatus for removing material from racket handles
comprising:
a base;
means for defining a guide plane that extends above the base;
means for securing a racket handle within the base comprising
rotatable eccentric cam means and a brace means, the cam means and
a brace means coupled to the base, the brace means for opposing the
action of the cam means when securing a racket handle therebetween
such that a center line of the racket is parallel to the guide
plane;
movable frame means operatively coupled to the means for defining a
guide plane for moving the frame means parallel to the guide
plane;
blade means operatively coupled to the frame means for removing
material from the racket handle in a plane parallel to the guide
plane; and
means for adjusting the depth of the material removal by the blade
means.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for defining the
guide plane includes a pair of raised opposed base extension
portions having edges that define said guide plane.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 or 12 wherein the frame means
includes means for engaging the means defining the guide plane such
that motion of the frame means is parallel to the guide plane.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the means for adjusting the
depth of material removal by the blade means includes:
carriage means operatively coupled to the frame means so that the
carriage means is extendable with respect to the frame means, the
blade means being secured to said carriage means; and
means for adjusting the amount of extension of the carriage means
with respect to the frame means.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means for adjusting the
amount of extension of the carriage means from the frame means
includes:
guide means for guiding the carriage means in a direction at least
in a direction perpendicular to the guide plane;
means for positioning the carriage means along the guide means;
and
means for locking the carriage means in the extended position.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the guide means is inclined
relative to the guide plane.
17. An apparatus for removing material from a handle
comprising:
a base;
means for defining a guide plane that extends above the base;
means for securing a handle within the base;
movable frame means operatively coupled to the means for defining a
guide plane for moving the frame parallel to the guide plane;
blade means operatively coupled to the frame means for removing
material from the handle in a plane parallel to the guide plane;
and
means, on the blade means, for adjusting the depth of the material
removal by the blade means.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for adjusting the
depth of material removal by the blade means includes:
carriage means operatively coupled to the frame means so that the
carriage means is extendable with respect to the frame means, the
blade means being secured to said carriage means; and
means for adjusting the amount of extension of the carriage means
with respect to the frame means.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the means for adjusting the
amount of extension of the carriage means from the frame means
includes:
guide means for guiding the carriage means in a direction at least
in a direction perpendicular to the guide plane;
means for positioning the carriage means along the guide means;
and
means for locking the carriage means in the extended position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to racket handle reducers, and more
particularly, to a reducer that provides uniform removal of
material from the handle in a plane parallel to the center line of
the handle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Often the need arises to reduce the hand gripping size of tennis
rackets and the like. Normally, racket handles such as used in
tennis rackets are wound with a thin leather strapping that covers
a wooden handle. If the handle grip is too small for the user, the
leather strapping is removed and replaced with thicker strapping
thereby building up the racket handle hand gripping size to
accommodate the user's hand.
For the case where the handle is larger than required, a thinner
strapping proves inadequate, and material must be removed from the
handle.
In order to reduce the circumference of the handle, the handle
strapping is unwound, material is removed from the handle, and the
strapping is rewound about the handle. Techniques for removing such
material from racket handles are known in the prior art. One class
of device is a hand-held wood rasp which is used in conjunction
with a racket handle gripping device. Typically, the racket handle
is tightly secured in a vise, and successive passes are made over
the exposed side of the handle with a wood rasp. At such time that
the desired amount of material is removed from the handle, the
handle is released from the vise, rotated so that an adjacent side
is exposed, and the rasp is then drawn over the exposed surface
until the desired amount of material is removed.
The technique just described suffers from several inherent
problems. Firstly, since the rasp is hand-held, difficulty is
encountered in applying uniform cutting pressure along each side of
the handle. Thus, more material may be removed from one portion of
the handle than from another. Since the depth of cut is
uncontrollable, a non-uniform handle structure may result. Such
non-uniform handle structures give rise to non-uniform gripping of
the handle by the user as well as creating a weight imbalance in
the handle. Handle imbalance, especially when such handles are used
in tennis rackets, adversely affects the accuracy of play of the
user.
Secondly, alignment of the cutting plane of the rasp with the
center line of the handle is very difficult to maintain. The final
shape of the handle, after completion of the material removal
process, often times is slightly pyramidal rather than rectangular,
such pyramidal shapes adversely affecting the control of the handle
and accuracy of play with such handle.
Thirdly, use of a hand-held rasp requires much care, attention and
time in the material removal process to ensure that the proper
depth of cut, as well as its alignment with the racket handle
center line, occurs. The material removal process therefore becomes
very time consuming resulting in a substantial service cost to the
ultimate consumer.
Other techniques such as the use of sanding machines and the like
require a substantial investment on the part of the user, and
therefore make it commercially unfeasible to undertake such
handle-reducing services.
The apparatus of the present invention has particular advantages
over presently-used methods in that exact determinable amounts of
the material may be removed from the racket handle. Thus, the
maintaining of handle-shape symmetry on a reduced scale is readily
achievable.
Additionally, the apparatus provides for a more automated method of
reducing racket handles, thereby increasing the speed of the
overall material removal process and lessening the amount of skill
required to perform such process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is provided, according to a presently preferred embodiment, a
hand-operated apparatus for removing material from a racket handle,
the apparatus having a base that has a pair of raised opposed
sides, the edges of which define a guide plane. Means are provided
for securing a racket handle within the base with a center line of
the racket handle being parallel to the guide plane. A frame
straddles the raised opposed sides of the base, and is slideable
upon the edges of said opposed sides. An adjustable blade means is
secured to the frame for removal of material from the racket
handle. The blade means is adjustably extendable between the frame
and the racket handle for varying the depth of material removal
from the racket handle, and the blade means is movable with the
frame in a plane parallel to the guide plane.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a racket handle reducer constructed
in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partially cut away side view of the racket handle
reducer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partially cut away top view of the racket handle
reducer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-section of the frame of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a racket
handle reducer constructed in accordance with the present
invention.
The racket handle reducer 10 includes a flat base 12 having a pair
of raised opposed side portions 14 that terminate at flat and
parallel edges 16. The edges 16 are equidistant from the base 12,
and define a guide plane parallel to said base. Rotatably mounted
to the base is an eccentric cam 18 having torquer receiving holes
19. Secured to the base and located opposite to the eccentric cam
is a brace 20. The brace serves to oppose the motion of the
eccentric cam, such that a racket handle placed between the
eccentric cam and the brace may be secured therebetween by means of
a forced friction grip.
Placement of a racket handle 23 in surface contact with the base
and locking said handle between the eccentric cam and brace serves
to position the center line 25 of the handle parallel to the guide
plane formed by the edges 16. The eccentric cam provides rapid
securement of racket handles of differing sizes.
Slideably engaged with the side edges 16 is a frame 22. The frame
has a length greater than the separation between the raised opposed
sides and has parallel edges 24 that slide in contact with the
edges of the base. Slideable engagement of the frame edges 24 with
the base edges 16 on the base ensures that motion of the frame will
be in a plane parallel to the guide plane. Located at each end of
the frame are stop means 26. The stop means 26 serve to prevent the
frame from sliding beyond the raised opposed side portions 14 and
into the base.
Adjustably mounted in the frame is the carriage 28 (see FIGS. 2, 3
and 4). The carriage is extendably adjustable from the frame 22 by
use of rack and pinion means operatively coupled between the
carriage 28 and the frame. Knob 78 controls the amount of extension
of the carriage beyond the frame. Secured to the carriage 28 is the
blade means 31.
In a typical operation, a racket handle that is to be reduced in
size is placed in surface contact with the base 12 between the cam
18 and the brace 20. A suitable torquing device (like a spanner
wrench) is inserted in torquer receiving holes 19. The torquing
device is rotated to a point where friction force locking of a
racket handle occurs between the cam and the brace. The frame 22 is
then placed on the edges on the base, and the knob 78 is rotated
until the blade means just contacts the handle. A desired depth of
cut adjustment is then made, and the frame is oscillated across the
handle surface to be reduced. Successive lowering of the carriage
means by the knob is made until the amount of material removal from
the handle reaches the desired amount. The length of the
oscillatory motion of the frame 22 transverse to the handle is
limited by the stop means 26 extending downwardly from frame ends
54. After completion of the material removal process on one side of
the racket handle, the torquing device is reinserted in the torquer
receiving holes, and the cam is rotated so as to release the racket
handle secured between said cam and the brace. The process is
repeated for each side of the handle until the desired amount of
handle material is removed.
The base 12 is an essentially flat piece of rigid material,
preferably steel or aluminum. Rotatably mounted in the base is an
eccentric cam 18. The cam is rotatably secured to the base by means
of locking engagement of the locking nut 32 and bolt 34. The bolt
may be secured in the base by any one of a number of conventional
fastening techniques. Separating the base and the eccentric cam is
a spacing washer 36. The spacing washer serves to prevent contact
of the cam with the base. The locking nut and the corresponding end
of the bolt are located within the annular recess 38 of the
eccentric cam. Location of both locking nut 32 and the
corresponding end of bolt 34 within the recess 38 prevents contact
of said nut and bolt with the blade means 31 passing
thereabove.
The outer edge surface of the cam is defined by an involute surface
generated by an increasing radius, the perimetral end of the radius
rotating through an arc equal to 360.degree., starting at a point
42 on the edge surface and terminating at a point 44. Located at
opposite sides of the center of rotation of the cam are torquer
receiving holes 19 (see FIG. 3). Also secured to the base, by means
of locking engagement of the nut 46 with the bolt 48, is the brace
20. The brace serves to oppose the action of cam 18 when gripping a
handle therebetween.
Slideably mounted on the edges of the base is the frame 22. In the
preferred embodiment, frame 22 is essentially U-shaped having a
bight portion 50 and depending side portions 52 and 53. The side
portions 52 and 53 have parallel edges 24 that are adapted for
slideable contact with the edges 16 of the opposed sides 14 of the
base 12. Thus, the slideable motion of the frame 22 is in a plane
parallel with the guide plane defined by the edges 16.
Located at the ends 54 of the frame are stop means 26. The stop
means is in the form of tabs extending downwardly beyond the edges
24 to prevent the frame from sliding beyond the edges 16 and into
the base 12. The stop means 26 may be integral with the frame 22
or, as illustrated in FIG. 2, may be extension pieces secured to
the frame by means of securing screws 56.
Located within the interior of the slideable frame is the carriage
28. The carriage comprises an L-shaped bracket having a base
portion 58 and a depending side portion 60. The carriage is movable
with respect to the frame 22 by means of slideable engagement
between a pair of inclined slots 62 located in a side 60 of the
carriage, and corresponding axles 64 located in the frame. The
axles are parallel and secured at each of their ends to the
depending sides 52 and 53 of the frame 22. The slots 62 are
parallel to each other and inclined with respect to the carriage
base 58. The alignment of the slots is such that a motion of the
carriage along the axles has a component that is in a direction
parallel to the guide plane, as well as a component that is in a
direction perpendicular to the guide plane.
Control of the motion of the carriage along the axles is
accomplished by means of engagement of a pinion shaft 66 and rack
68. The rack 68 is formed on the inclined surface of the wedge 70.
The wedge is secured to the carriage base by means of locking
screws 72.
The pinion shaft 66 is positioned within a slot 74 and secured
between depending sides 52 and 53 of the frame. The guide slot 74
is located between and parallel to the guide slots 62. The slots 62
and 74, as well as the rack 68, are parallel and inclined at an
angle, in the preferred embodiment, of about 30.degree. relative to
the bottom edges of the frame.
The central portion of the pinion shaft 66 has, around its
perimeter, gear teeth that correspond in depth and pitch to the
gear teeth of the rack so that rotation of the pinion shaft causes
the rack and therefore the carriage connected thereto to move in a
direction parallel to the incline. Thus, rotary motion of the
pinion shaft 66 causes both a translation of the carriage 28 in a
direction parallel to the guide plane and movement of the carriage
in a direction perpendicular to the guide plane. For a specific
rotation of the knob, the rack incline gives rise to a smaller
movement of the blade means in a direction perpendicular to the
guide plane than if the rack were oriented normal to the guide
plane. Finer adjustment of the depth of cut of the blade means is
obtained therefore with the rack inclined rather than perpendicular
to the guide plane.
Shaft plane 65 is secured to depending side 53 by means of threaded
screws 67. A bore 69 extends through the shaft plate, said bore
being marginally larger than pinion shaft portion 71 passing
therethrough.
Secured to pinion shaft portion 71 is the depth control knob 78.
Rotation of the knob causes the pinion shaft to rotate, and thereby
causing the movement of the carriage along the guide slots 62 and
74. A suitable pointer and indicator such as, for example, pointer
79 and indicator 81, may be attached to the knob and the frame,
respectively. The indicator may be calibrated in appropriate units
of length and therefore be used to indicate the amount of extension
of the carriage from the frame thus giving an indication of the
depth of cut off blade means 31.
Secured to the pinion shaft portion 73 is locking knob 30. The
locking knob is threaded to match screw threads on the
corresponding end of the pinion shaft. Rotation of the locking knob
causes, upon its contact with the frame, a friction gripping
between the pinion shaft and the frame for preventing any relative
motion between the carriage and the frame. Raised annular boss 35
on locking knob 30 provides a contact surface between the locking
knob and depending side 52 when the carriage is locked in place.
The bore 37, in the locking knob, provides clearance for the pinion
shaft when the locking knob is rotated for locking the carriage in
place.
Mounted on pinion shaft portion 71 and located between and in
abutting relationship with shaft plate 65 and pinion shaft edge 75
is annular spring washer 63. The spring washer maintains a force
between the carriage 28 and pinion shaft 66 such that the carriage
is held in stable contact with depending side 52 when locking knob
30 is loosened and control knob 78 is rotated.
The blade means 31 includes a cutting surface 33 that is mounted to
a supporting bar 80. The supporting bar has a reverse bend 82 at
one end, and a reverse bend 83 at its other end. Suspended from
base portion 58 is angle bracket 90 and Z bracket 84. The Z bracket
84 has an extension arm 85, and the angle bracket has an extension
arm 91. The Z bracket may be secured to the base portion by any of
a number of fastening techniques such as welding. The angle bracket
is threaded and receives tightening bolt 88.
A side 87 of an L-shaped carriage bracket 86 is secured to the
carriage base portion 58. The depending side 89 of the carriage
bracket has a bore slightly larger than the shank diameter of the
tightening bolt. The depending side of the carriage bracket is
located between the head of the tightening bolt and the angle
bracket mounted on the tightening bolt. The extension arms 85 and
91 engage the supporting bar reverse bends 82 and 83, respectively,
such that tightening of the bolt 88 spreads the Z bracket and angle
bracket apart, and the blade means suspended therebetween becomes
rigidly mounted to the carriage.
The blade means may be any of a number of material-removing
surfaces such as, for example, a plurality of knife edges,
sandpaper or a wood rasp.
While the basic principle of this invention has been herein
illustrated along with one embodiment, it will be appreciated by
those skilled in the art that variations in the disclosed
arrangement both as to its details and as to the organization of
such details may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope thereof. For example, the means for adjustably extending the
blade means between the frame and the racket handle may be formed
of vertical guide means rods secured to the frame and passing
through corresponding mating openings in the carriage. A hand
operated-vertical threaded screw, coupled to the carriage and
engaging mating screw threads in the frame, may be used to adjust
the height of the carriage and thus the blade means above the
racket handle.
Accordingly, it is intended that the foregoing disclosure and the
showings made in the drawings will be considered only as
illustrative of the principles of the invention and not construed
in a limiting sense.
* * * * *